The present invention relates to machine foundations, and more particularly, an apparatus for isolating and leveling a machine foundation with respect to a substructure.
When installing and setting up heavy-duty industrial machinery (i.e., machinery, equipment, presses, etc.), it is difficult to properly isolate a machine from the substructure (i.e., floor, ground, etc.) of a building or facility or from the ground or soil of the earth. Such isolation may be desired to isolate vibration from a machine that is sensitive to vibration, as in the case of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. In the alternative, such isolation may be required to isolate the vibration created by a machine from a substructure. The shock and vibration generated or realized by these machines may create misalignments of the machine due to the forces and the settling of the substructure or the machine""s foundation. Proper alignment, including leveling, flatness, and the like, is essential in order to operate the machinery efficiently, economically and safely.
Prior designs have attempted to isolate a machine foundation from a substructure by providing a concrete well in the substructure. Sand or other fill materials line the walls of the concrete well and create a barrier between the machine""s concrete foundation and the substructure. Springs have also been utilized between the substructure and the machine""s concrete foundation to isolate and support the machine foundation from the substructure. However, these designs do not provide a method or apparatus for easily and effectively leveling the machine.
Other past designs have utilized machine foundations that are integral with a substructure. Although some of these designs have provided leveling mechanisms between the machine and the foundation, the design of the machine foundation and the substructure must be completely re-engineered when replacing the existing industrial machinery. Re-engineering a machine foundation and a substructure is a costly proposition that is undesirable in the field of industrial machinery.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus for isolating and leveling a machine foundation with respect to a substructure. It would also be desirable to have an apparatus for isolating and leveling a machine foundation wherein the apparatus and foundation could be reused with respect to a replacement machine.
The present invention provides an apparatus for isolating a machine foundation from a substructure of a building while also providing proper adjustments to level the machine foundation. The apparatus of the present invention provides an enclosure connected to the machine foundation wherein the enclosure has an upper portion and a lower portion adjustably connected to one another to allow for various sizes of the enclosure. A bearing member is disposed within the enclosure and is adjustably connected to the enclosure. A resilient member is positioned between and in connection with the bearing member and the substructure for isolating and leveling the machine foundation relative to the substructure. In an alternative embodiment, a recess may be formed on a surface of the resilient member adjacent the bearing member, and the bearing member may provide a protruding surface that complementarily engages the recess of the resilient member to increase the stability of the resilient member.
The present invention may also provide at least one gauge extending between the bearing member and the substructure to determine the distance between the bearing member and the substructure for purposes of leveling the machine foundation relative to the substructure.
The present invention may also provide stabilizers having an anchor plate assembly adjustably connected to the enclosure. An isolating member is preloaded against the substructure by the anchor plate assembly to provide added stability to the machine foundation. The anchor plate assembly may apply a force to the isolating member that is substantially perpendicular to the axis in which the bearing member applies a load to the resilient member.